News - 07 Nov `18Our monthly newsletter is on its way to our 10K+ subscribers

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Hi there,

I suspect you’re not aware of the huge science scandal of the moment. At least 31 papers by three former Harvard researchers are being retracteddue to falsified and fabricated data. The authors of withdrawn papers helped waste hundreds of millions of dollars by the companies that allegedly developed stem cell therapies.  

Uhm? How is this related to vitiligo? Well, stick with me for a moment.

A staggering amount of publications on vitiligo indexed by Pubmed.gov -- over 400 in the last year alone -- indicates an increased interest in this once obscure disease. It is unclear, however, how much of this volume is truly advancing science or improving clinical practice, and how much is just a hype or worse. Even the best efforts of reputable journals like the Nature, the Cell or Wiley's Dermatologic Therapy are not enough to clean up the system. The 'Harvard Scandal' may be a good thing for vitiligo by protecting biotech startups from questionable research data and costly mistakes.

Thankfully, there are few safe harbours for you to explore. In a recent podcast interview, Dr. John Harris, associate professor of medicine and director of the Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center at UMass Medical School, explains in plain English the promising research, ongoing clinical trials, overlap with other diseases, advanced treatments for kids and adults, talks about Michael Jackson and the stigma associated with having vitiligo. I enjoyed every moment of this 25-minute podcast and hope you will do, too. 

Continue reading November's newsletter here.

Yan Valle

CEO VRF

 



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